Canadian nationalists in the nineteenth century argued that the North, with its extremes of winter, distance, and isolation, defined the country's essential character and gave its population the resolve and determination necessary to create a prosperous nation. Promoters lauded its enormous economic potential while cursing its vast expanses and dangerous winters. Novelists, poets, and painters were awestruck by its boundless reaches and environmental diversity. Today, the North retains its complex place within the Canadian psyche, at once celebrated as the very essence of the nation, while being largely ignored by a population that clings to the Canada-USA border. Many have debated its significance in Canada's history, and have attempted to bring the region to the attention of the rest of the country by carving out a niche for northern history within the academic curriculum. The current generation of historians has a more ambitious and complex agenda. While they are interested in the North for its own sake, they also firmly believe that the study and teaching of Canadian history as a whole does not currently recognize the North's importance to the development of the nation.
Northern Visions: New Perspectives on the North in Canadian History.
- Arctic Reading: Canada
Reflections on a Career of Northern Travelling, Teaching, Writing, and Reading,
- Arctic Reading: Canada
p. 180, the great national conundrum according to W.H. Morton: “…the ultimate and comprehensive meaning of Canadian history is to be found where there has been no Canadian history, in the North.”
Miscellaneous Materials.
- Arctic Reading: Canada
While most of these texts record observations and actions, on three occasions Bartlett mentions his reading, an activity that explorers on other expeditions often used to stave off boredom. Lists of books read can indicate something about the mental life and preoccupations of figures who otherwise restrict their accounts to facts and action. A significant choice for Bartlett on this expedition was Bernacci’s book on the Antarctic xxxx, read on and about July 15 [1909], when Bartlett still believed that Peary’s Antarctic expedition would happen. On that day Bartlett records, “Commander was asking me about the new Antarctic ship, how I would wish her built. I told him how if it comes off, I will have some of my ideas put into practice.” Bartlett refers on June 11 to Robert Falcon Scott’s observation about grounded seals, but does not indicate whether this knowledge was from a recent reading experience (June 11) or from general knowledge. He also reported reading a novel by Elizabeth Robins, Come and Find Me, lent to him by Peary, that he did not enjoy (June 13th). “It’s a story something in the style of Man’s woman [by Frank Norris]. It’s rather a long spun out yarn. I did not care much about it.” This evaluation, coming from Bartlett, is somewhat surprising since Bartlett’s own natural style, seen in his later books as characterized by others, was exceedingly “spun out,” bordering on the garrulous.
Sails over Ice.
- Arctic Reading: Canada
Bartlett’s slightly whimsical account of his cruises aboard his schooner, the Effie M. Morrisey. Although Bartlett was a prodigious reader (see accounts of him on the Karluk), there is little indication of his reading here, perhaps because most of the adventures recounted here took place during summer in the Arctic when he worked with his student sailors.
Master Mariner and Arctic Explorer: A Narrative of Sixty Years at Sea from the Logs and Yarns of Captain J. E. Bernier.
- Arctic Reading: Canada
Autobiographical collage by the well-known Canadian mariner, with emphasis on his obsession with the North. Introduction by E.T. [?] is dedicated to Bernier’s wife and gives a succinct summary of Bernier’s life including his four Canadian government expeditions to the North. He was a dedicated Catholic, a lifelong teetotaler, and put his faith in divine Providence.
Smith Sound and its Exploration.
- Arctic Reading: Canada
p. 335, John Barrow: the English geographer, who credited only those discoveries that were made by officers of the Royal Navy.
Among Unknown Eskimo: An Account of Twelve Years Intimate Relations with the Primitive Eskimo of Ice-bound Baffin Land: with a Description of Their Way of Living, Hunting Customs & Beliefs.
- Arctic Reading: Canada
A detailed description of Baffin Island and the Inuit way of life, with an appendix of Eskimo deities, including the vampiric Aipalookvik who 'Has a large head and face, human in appearance but ugly like a cod's. Is a destroyer by desire and tries to bite and eat the kyakers.' (p.266). His account is also notable for descriptions of euthanasia: a blind man is willingly led to an ice hole where 'He went right under, then and there under the ice and was immediately drowned and frozen. A handy piece of ice served to seal the death trap, and all was over. Nandla had died on the hunt, and had entered the Eskimo heaven like the other valiant men of his tribe, and taken his place with the doughtiest of them, where there would be joy and plenty for evermore.' (p. 153) [From John Bockstoce collection catalogue, item 10, from McGahern Books, 2019.]
Voyage of Visitation in the Church Ship to the Labrador and East Coast of Newfoundland.
- Arctic Reading: Canada
Autograph manuscript diary (in the hand of Alan Broderick) of the journey of Edward Feild, the Bishop of Newfoundland of the Church of England, on the church ship Hawk. Includes lists of correspondents written to during the voyage and places visited. The ship sailed to various communities to conduct divine service and holy communion, often to very small audiences (exc. On Sunday July 2nd with an audience of 40, 25 of them children, at Red Bay).
The Red River Library: A Search after Knowledge and Refinement.
- Arctic Reading: Canada
p. 154: Consequently, books were introduced into the colony only a year after the first party of settlers arrived at York Factory in 1812. The children “were instructed in arithmetic, reading, and writing, using books furnished at Selkirk’s expense from the British and Foreign School Society.” Lord Selkirk was very involved in ordering book sources for the community. HBD conducted an inventory including books in 1822, and again in 1825.
Newfoundland Discovered: English Attempts at Colonisation, 1610-1630.
- 1610-30 British Exploration of Newfoundland.
- Arctic Reading: Canada
Diverse and interesting materials on colonizing Newfoundland.
Narrative of a Voyage to Hudson’s Bay in His Majesty’s Ship Rosamond Containing some Account of the North-Eastern Coast of America and of the Tribes of That Remote Region.
- Arctic Reading: Canada
Chappell was a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy who published two books on his Newfoundland, Labrador, and Hudson’s Bay voyages. He was one of the first English explorers to spend time with the indigenous peoples, both Indian and Esquimaux. He was rather viciously attacked by William Gifford’s Quarterly Review; his own scathing response is included at the end of some copies of both of his books.
Voyage of His Majesty’s Ship Rosamond to Newfoundland and the Southern Coast of Labrador.
- Arctic Reading: Canada
p. 70-71, recounting Chappell’s conversation with an Indian hunter: whilst with the other he laid down his musket upon the trunk of a fallen tree. We offered him rum, which, to our utter astonishment, he refused; but he accepted of some biscuit and boiled pork. The following conversation then ensued between us. We first inquired, where he was going, and at what he had fired. “Me go get salmon gut, for bait, for catchee cod. Me fire for play, at litteel bird.” Observing the word Tower marked on the lock of his musket, we said, "This is an English gun." "May be. Me no get um "of Ingeles; me get um of Scotchee ship: me "givee de Captain one carabou(deer)for um."—" Do you go to-morrow to catch cod?" "Ees: me go to-morrow catchee cod: next day, catchee cod: next day comeseven day (Sunday); me no catchee cod; "me takee *, look upGOD." [Footnote p. 71: * None of the Indians in St. George's Bay are able to read; but they have been taught almost to adore the Bible, by some French Missionary.] We asked if the savage Red Indians, inhabiting the interior of the country, also looked up toGOD: when, with a sneer of the most ineffable contempt, he replied, "<i>No; no lookee upGOD: killee all men dat dem see, "Red Indian no good."—Do you understand the talk of the Red Indians?" "Oh, no; me no talkee likee dem: dem talkee all same dog, 'Bow, wow, wow!'"This last speech was pronounced with a peculiar degree of acrimony: at the same time, he appeared so much offended at our last question, that we did not think it prudent to renew the dialogue.
Narrators of the Arctic: Images and Movements in Northland Narratives.
- Arctic Reading: Canada
Asks what imperatives the narrator of the Arctic operates under, i.e. how did motivation change their narratives?
Keep the Mind Alive: Literary Leanings in the Fur Trade.
- Arctic Reading: Canada
Fur traders in the 1830s showed strong need for newspaper and periodical literature, which the Company refused to ship inland with other supplies because of their weight. Though starved for news, books would sometimes help. Scotsmen favored Ossian, Burns, and Scott, but there was also demand for classic English literature, Shakespeare and Dickens.
Alexander Mackenzie and the North West.
- Arctic Reading: Canada
p. 97, concerning his first Arctic trip in 1789: In this voyage I was not only without the necessary books and instruments, but also felt myself deficient in the science of astronomy and navigation. I did not hesitate therefore to undertake a winter’s voyage [to England] in order to procure the one and acquire the other.